78th Ozue Armored Regiment
Any testimony concerning the 78th Ozue Armored Regiment will attest both to how they exemplify masterful Armored warfare tactics, and to their excessively aggressive battlefield demeanor. Their offensive, and non-cooperative behavior has often placed this regiment into judicial tight spots and they have even been threatened to be sent to the penal regiments before. The 78th are rumored live in their tanks, as with all regiments from their home-world, and often each tank-crew becomes a family unit in some way for most of the crews. History of the 78th Ozue Armored Regiment Ozue The History of Ozue itself has much to do with the 78th Armored Regiment. The world, a flat easily farmed world whose empty terrain is only broken by forests, rivers, and the occasional city, was a perfect staging ground for armored warfare. Long before the emperor's great crusade had come to their world the population had mastered the arts of armored warfare. Mechanized infantry units, and tank battalions ruled the planet's military history, while small factories produced the weapons of war as easily as any forge-world's. When the Imperial army discovered the world they attempted to claim it for the emperor by force, however aggressive tactics and shockingly mobile forces outflanked and destroyed the more technologically advanced armies. It wouldn't be until the Arrival of Horus, and the other Primarchs whose negotiation skills and reasoning, coupled by the world's leaders being awed by their "walking light tanks" brought this world to imperial control with the promise to allow the Ozue to use their tanks against new, far off and interesting foes. A promise the Imperium has yet to fail to keep. Legends of the regiment's founding There are countless rumors concerning the founding of the 78th some claiming they were founded back when the imperial guard first began and had battled along space marines, others claim the founding of the 78th was far more recent and much less noble. While some legends place the regiment's first battle along side the marines of the primarchs against fallen brethren, most legends, and most probably the most accurately, place the regiments first battles being in the 36th millennium. Rumors poor record keeping and confused labeling has left the regiment with little real history. The 78th and the courts Perhaps the most solid factor of the regiment's history however is it's relationship with the imperial courthouses. A long history of arrests and accusations follows the 78th no mater to which crusade or world it goes to. Most of their court experiences have, for the fighting men of the 78th, turned into little more than another cultural game, seeing who can be accused of the bigger crime after a battle but still prove their innocence. The way of the 78th Armored Regiment Culture The culture of the 78th is highly influenced by both their world of origin and the violent reputation the regiment had long ago earned on the battle-field. To the life of a 78th tanker the key priorities are his tank, the battle, and the victory party afterwards. As such every member of the 78th prioritizes tank maintenance as their tank is far more than a machine to a Ozue citizen but instead a home. To the citizenry of Ozue owning a mechanized vehicle that is well maintained, and field capable is the height of wealth. Amongst the 78th competitions to test the maintenance and performance boosters of the regiment's tanks are common, and differing destructive contests are often considered a must for a proper victory party. It is often thoughts of these contests that drive the crews of the 78th tanks to be far more aggressive when in battle, as the combat is a good time to try out their upgrades, while also killing the enemy prevents them from damaging their tanks and their chances of winning the next competition. The Regiment's culture came under heavy attack after the purge of M39 when imperial commanders blamed it for the betrayal of the regiment's veterans. However the regiment fought hard to protect their culture and instead blamed an outside influence the taking of trophies and the former commander's attempts to be more accepting of other imperial cultures. The two sides clashed and it was only the decision of a inquisitor which saved the 78th and possibly all Ozue regiments culture from being declared heretical forcefully removed. Since then the 78th have despised outside influences and have fiercely held to their own traditions and ideals. Organization The unit organization of the 78th Ozue Armored Regiment reflects highly on the culture of the planet Ozue. Ozue itself is divided into Houses, Clans, and then Nations showing little to no respect for the authority of outsiders least their word have bearing on the stasis field preserved Annexation treaty they had originally signed with the primarchs, all the way back during the great crusades. Each house holding authority over it's own and granting authority to it's clan, each clan in turn holds authority only over it's own and they grant authority to their nation. Reflecting this each Tank is expected to manage, reward, and punish it's own crew, and each squadron is expected to keep each of it's tanks in line, while the Regiment commander holds authority over each squadron though he is not expected to directly command. Also like their home world the 78th has little respect for the authority of outsiders and as many commissars have learned have no qualms about simply ignoring that authority if it's demands go against the edicts of the regiment's own command structure. Recruitment and Replenishment The 78th often gets supplies shipped from Ozue to help support the Wing Squadron as, like every Ozue armored regiment, the unique tanks of the Wing squadron are only developed on Ozue and replacement tanks, chassis, and other large parts are often needed. New parts for more common tank variants are easily acquired from the Departmento Munitorum, as the 78th uses parts that follow more closely to the galactic 'standard' to build their vehicles then modify them from there, something some enginseers have taken great offense to. However the 78th most valuable resource, tank crews, are only replenished when the regiment returns to Ozue to train the next generations for guardsmen for their new duties. Every fifteen years of combat the regiment is allowed to return to restock on both tanks and crews for said tanks. Typically by this time the Regiment will have lost over half of it's tanks, tank-crews, and supporting personnel. Training for most Ozue is little more than a formality for anyone from Ozue or born of Ozue parents has already spent much of their life working on and operating armored vehicles, some possibly far more complex to work than even a Leman Russ. Commissar Lovable Commissar Lovable is a great many things to the tank crews of the 78th Armored, to them she is a founding legend, an entertaining cartoon, a mascot to raise their spirits when between victories, and satire of the rules and regulations of the Imperial Guard. The original legends of Commissar Lovable state that she was the regiment's first Commissar, though there are no records to confirm this claim and none known list the name of Lovable, but one who did not comply with the commissaral duties at all. As such she befriended the regiment instead of punishing them, and fought for supplies for them, and was eventually forced out of the regiment due to 'maternal reasons' after a a campaign with many victories where she'd spend special alone time with her victorious tank-crews, as the in-regiment legends state. The various legends mouth-to-mouth stories then say that one of the many men she was close with seeing a drop in moral, due to the absence of her loving care, decided to draw paintings of her, each with a memorable saying or encouraging word from the 'lost commissar'. Since then those paintings had developed into a tradition in the regiment, and now 'commissar lovable' cartoons can be found all throughout the regiment making humorous, and sometimes offensive, comments about every detail of the imperial guard. The Satire of the Lovable cartoons is often something that winds up bringing more trouble to the 78th as various command staff or members of more strict regiments witness it and quickly take offense, calling the regiment out for various reasons though accusations of subversion are the most common. Sexes As with every Ozue regiment, the 78th is a mixed gender regiment whose tank crews are more like families than teams of guardsmen. Despite more than likely beginning as near total strangers most tank crews develop into close knit families within a few months amongst the regiment. It has been known that small feuds and complex politics can play out if a member of one tank crew wishes to enter into a relationship with a member of another crew as most crews are close together and each loath the loss of one of their own. Most relationships though are kept 'in-tank' and whenever relationship is formed between members from separate tanks, something that is almost ever only done 'in-squadron'. After the members of the two crews fight, negotiate, and eventually come to term, the new couple will be placed together in one tank, or one of the two will be moved back into the Home Squadron. Amongst the regiment there are often a good number of children born of the tank crews, due to these close familial setting of the mixed gender teams. However the ideal that the only immediate family an Ozue has is within their own vehicle, means that most of the actual parenting of the children is left to the members of the Home Squadron, with the actual parents of the child only spending time with the child during victory celebrations making up for what could possibly be months of inattention during the few nights the regiment has to celebrate it's win before moving on. Discipline The 78th is notorious amongst the guard for their seeming disrespect for military standards and regulations. This regiment has as a whole unit been brought to court more often than most lone Imperial guardsmen will be in their during life. However within the culture of the Ozue 78th a strict standard series of 'laws' apply each one meant to maintain the regiment's loyalty to the Imperium as a whole, the emperor, and to each-other. Most of these laws apply to the competitions that the Squadrons will hold amongst themselves or to the inter-tank politics of the regiment, as most issues with the guardsmen are expected to be handled by the tank -crews themselves. However a few deal directly with the conduct of the unit itself, such as the insistence that no cannon be fired against a sanctified church of the imperial cult. Without these laws holding them the Ozue themselves recognize the susceptibility to the sway of the dark powers and as such hold tightly to their own rules and occasionally will ask for a new chaplain to be assigned to their regiment should they feel their faith may be weak. Squadrons Battle-line Squadrons The three forward Squadrons of the 78th armored regiment these three Squadrons are intended to participate in every confrontation the 78th is involved in. The tanks of the Battle-line Squadrons, all Leman Russ, are kept in a state of maintenance that allows their ammunition and secondary armaments to easily be switched as conditions demand. Each of the Squadrons Maintain eight tanks going off the squadron call-sign followed by a number when contacted by vox. After a battle these Squadrons typically compete in contests of weight, speed, and explosive power. Iron Squadron The first of the three Battle-line squadrons. Iron squadron often finds itself in the most mixed forces scenarios of the three battle-line squadrons. Iron squadron maintains the regiments most flexible approach to combat always bringing at least one tank possessing either sponson las-cannons or heavy bolters depending on the armament choice of the rest of the squadron. Steal Squadron The second squadron of the regiment and the most forwardly aggressive of the three battle-line squadrons. As such Steel Squadron often finds itself behind the enemy line and has also become acutely aware of their own armor vulnerabilities. Steel Squadron also holds the honor of typically the first called upon to break an enemy battle line. Glory Squadron Holding the prestigious honor of housing the current regiment commissar, Glory squadron indeed sees a good amount of combat. However with the commissar amongst their number Glory Squadron is ofter forced to show more restraint than any of the battle-line squadrons when battling the enemy. For this reason they are selected for defensive duties more often than the other two squadrons. Tank-Hunter Squadrons The Tank-Hunter Squadrons are two elite squadrons reserved amongst the 78th for the prime purpose of eliminating enemy armored forces. As such the Tank-Hunter Squadrons are consistent primarily of Leman Russ Vanquisher tanks, however to support the squadrons two additional tanks, Leman Russ Annihilators, are added to the eight other tanks that primarily populate the two squadrons. Reaper Squadron The call-sign Reaper, even amongst the 78th is affiliated with some of the most introverted and blood-thirsty tankers to have ever been produced by the Ozue. Reaper squadron tanks typically work a far more aggressive approach to their anti-armor roll, spreading out over a aria, while using their canon fire and own selves as bait to turn enemy armor so that another member of their squadron can make the kill shot. Husk Squadron Husk Squadron, the less aggressive and far more sociable and cheerful of the two squadrons, is in many ways Reaper squadron's opposite and rival. While Reaper squadron simply depends on it's own with a moving and more rapid firing approach, Husk Squadron will patiently wait, often amongst the ruins of other vehicles. Using allies to lure enemies forward they will observe until the enemy finally reveals a weak portion of their armor to those of call-sign husk then fire seeking an instant kill. Siege Squadrons Consisting of two squadrons of Siege tanks and one squadron of artillery. The Siege Squadrons are the most mixed Squadrons of tanks in the 78th with various tank classes providing for differing needs of the the conflict that may arise. The two Primary Siege Squadrons Hammer and Fist Squadron both are comprised of three Demolishers, two Eradicators, two Punishers and one Executioner tank, combined a force able to level a small city. Rain Squadron serves as the regiments artillery force and is comprised eight of Medusa siege tanks, and four Hydra flak-tanks in which provide Anti-air defense during a siege. Hammer Squadron The prime Siege Squadron of the 78th. Hammer Squadron primarily assists infantry forces as the move into a defended city. As such most of the Squadron's force spreads out confidently while the support tanks stay back ready to race to wherever they will be needed. Fist Squadron Fist Squadron is the Regiment's solution when infantry support is limited. Specializing in urban engagements where friendly troops are few and far in between, this squadron moves as a whole, cycling their tanks forward to meet each particular need and using force to level any structure or target they could not normally overcome with their typical approach. Rain Squadron The Regiment's only artillery Squadron, Rain Squadron provides two key roles for the Squadron. Both serving as the primary artillery for the Squadron and more importantly containing half the Squadron's Air-defenses. As a specialized force the Rain Squadron rarely sees the same combat as other squadrons but often holds it's own successes as great achievements, even if told otherwise. Special Squadrons The special squadrons of the Ozue 78th armored each consist of a unique listing of armored vehicles and serve a very separate purpose from not only each-other but also from the other squadrons of the the regiment. Home Squadron The name for the support squadron of the 78th, the home squadron possess the final half of the regiments Air-defences, all the support vehicles needed to repair and maintain the regiment's tanks, and the support staff convoy of the regiment. It is to these support that the regiment's children are given where they will be raised around the maintenance crews of the tanks learning the vehicles as thoroughly as if they were born on Ozue. However any threats to this squadron are in all cases the most frightening to the 78th as this squadron is the future of the regiment and anyone who dies from amongst their number is considered a grave loss indeed. Heart Squadron The command Squadron for the Regiment, the Heart squadron contains both the command tank and a mix of vehicles meant to both aid in regiment command and to provide immediate front-line solutions to any unusual problems that might occur during battle. As such the only actual tank in the Squadron is the command tank, while the other vehicles are all, chimera chassis-design support vehicles. Wing Squadron The Wing Squadron is a proud, and long honored tradition of the Ozue people. Wing Squadrons are composed entirely of the planets own Wing scout tanks and their long range supply trucks, typically Chamera chassis fuel and repair vehicles when in the guard. The Wing Squadron is the Ozue traditional scouting squadron comprised of the tanks from which it's namesake was derived. The wing tank, a unique armored vehicle of Ozue, is a lightly armored, but mobile, fast attack vehicle known to be able to travel long distances and continue fighting alone without supply for much longer periods of time than most Imperial armor. For combat these vehicles carry one turret mounted auto cannon along with a heavy stubber. However it's light armor, the casualty rates amongst it's crews, and slightly less diverse selection of terrain it can traverse ensure that the imperial Sentential will always be the far more preferred scout vehicle outside the Ozue regiments. The Wing Squadron of the 78th is quite possibly become the most notorious amongst all the Squadrons of the 78th Armored for their aggressive approach to any engagement. The seed of this aggression is assumed to lay with one of the Squadron's former leaders Jeorge Pettson whose polity was to attack, and continue attacking until the enemy was dead. That tradition has continued up to the Squadron's current leader Lt. Major Deborah Livinsky. However this policy of attack has made this squadron less reliable for scouting and driven their casualty rate to the point of being the highest in the squadron. Despite that the twelve small tanks of the Squadron also hold the highest kill count of any of the squadrons in the regiment. Battle Doctrine The 78th Ozue armored regiment follows a highly aggressive, but well refined combat doctrine. Each tank of a Squadron is expected to to tend to it's strengths while remaining close to a support or another tank which could negate the weaknesses of the vehicle. However the first priority of any tank and it's crew is to attack, pressing the offensive against the enemy or acting in support of an offense take priority before all other concerns. A critical part of the 78th's success is the ideal of all out attack, in which no amount of power is withheld for long, the regiment would rather choose to force it's way through enemy lines and lay siege to a city alone than wait for another force to do what they feel they could do alone. When placed against other armored forces the 78th is it's most fierce as they value combat against an armored vehicle most highly for earning a tank kill is of high prestige to a citizen of Ozue. Often against armored opponents, particularly those of chaos for the 78th despises chaos armor above all, the 78th will fight with an aggression rarely ever seen amongst a tank crew and may even forgo their mission simply to see the enemies armored divisions eliminated. Infantry the Ozue most pity seeing them as unfortunate and poor individuals who when fought against should be quickly put down as to end their vehicle-less existence and to remove the potential threat of anti-tank weaponry. However as infantry are to be considered pitiful their existence is often overlooked by the 78th unless they are in a fortified position, possess a weapon that threatens the crew's tank, or the tank, typically a punisher, has been designated to eliminate them. As offense is so key amongst the 78th defensive tactics are rarely employed as the idea of waiting for a enemy to come to you is considered weak and poor by the Ozue. Instead the Ozue people set forth seeking to destroy their enemies in a attack. As such the 78th even in situations where they are expected to defend are more often seen hunting down the enemy and rushing forward to break through the enemies lines. With such tactics the 78th are notorious for pushing ahead of allied regiments only to run short of supplies and are often forced to either turn about and return to the imperial lines to resupply or wait for their allies to catch up with their fierce advances. Notable Individuals Major Draken Stolov The current Commander of the 78th Armored Regiment, Major Draken took command of the regiment as a fresh junior officer when the entire command staff was either killed or captured by Dark Eldar raiders attacking the regiment as it was in transit from their home system to a distant battle with the Orks. Suddenly thrust into command and leading a undermanned Regiment Draken struggled through fifteen years of harsh battles before the regiment was finally allowed to return home to replenish their numbers. Since that time Draken's leadership of the 78th has remained unchallenged by it's members, the man's ability to lead the tank regiment which was forged in the fires of war as deadly as it had ever been even now as he approaches his eightieth year of service. Draken's command is one of a cheerful disposition hiding a ruthless and aggressive cunning. The key priority of any tactic he devises is the attack, to an extent that even the 78th finds excessive insisting that the regiment 'win' no matter what. However despite the questionable logic behind his aggressive tactical thinking, both Draken's care for his regiment's well being and the skill behind his tactical designs have placed him in for consideration to joining the general staff. Lt. Major Deborah Livinsky The position of next in command within the 78th armored regiment has long been held by the Livinsky name. Since her great-great-great grandmother first the position of the 78th's second in command an Livinsky has always been the next of command within the regiment, even during periods where one Livinsky would ascend to command of the regiment another Livinsky would eventually take there place. And so it was for Deborah an given that the day her father died, pulled from his tank and torn apart by tyranids she would immediately ascend to the position her father held. However Draken Stolov, the lucky commander whose promotion coincided with her father's demotion and thus claimed the command, had other plans, he assigned her to the wing squadron and placed her under the command of her life long rival. Within the Wing Squadron Lt. Major Deborah Livinsky proved aggressive, unleashing her rage for being denied her birthright, upon the xenos and heretics before her. Her command though fierce and brutal also brought great pride and glory to the tanks under her command. Eventually after another seven years when the second of command who had taken her spot died by a lucky shell from a traitor's tank, Draken offered Livinsky the position claiming she had proven herself. She immediately accepted but insisted on retaining her command over the Wing Squadron, to which Draken accepted. Commissar Jacobson Gar The most despised man in the regiment by far. Commissar Gar's last regiment was completely annihilated by by Tau Anti-Armor when they had tried to attack the xenos line. Due to the fact that the commissar was the only survivor many of the Ozue suspect the man of either cowardliness or treason, though cowardliness is the most likely as he constantly insists on the regiment taking a defensive posture and that the regiment never 'lose' even at the price of a victory. As such he and Major Draken are eternally at odds with one another, yet Gar has never seen it fit to execute the man. Currently Gar has been attached to 'Glory' Squadron and is reshaping the squadron into a effective defensive force, much to the squadron's chargon. significant moments Purge of M39 Early in 39th millennium, one of the 78th's commanders, whose name has been struck from record, after suffering numerous casualties early in his command decided to take on outside influences into the regiment. Due to resentment from commanders hailing from worlds which were resentful of Ozue, miscommunications due to culture, and more aggressive enemies than ever previously encountered the regiment's casualties had reached a all time high. With the influx of outside culture from other imperial world's he hoped to create a link between the regiment and other imperial forces. With these new external influences the regiment took up trophy taking, something which had been a taboo amongst the Ozue for centuries, also taken up were the diet and practices of other regiments which the 78th began to work closely amongst. These influences brought the regiment much closer to it's fellow imperial guard particularly the so called 'warhounds' of general Kraken of the Talliben 801st. Together the two regiments gleaned a frightening reputation of being able to destroy their enemy. As such soon many imperial commanders came to respect the current regiment and turn to the 78th-801st combination whenever possible, something which nearly spelt disaster for the imperials on 4.056.258M39. Notable battles Quotes About Category:Imperial Guard Regiments Category:Imperial Guard